Important safety information

When you are in any unfamiliar situation:
•    Be sure to exercise caution and use common sense.
•    Walk confidently and make eye contact with people.
•    Appear comfortable with your surroundings even in the beginning; with time, you will indeed become comfortable with your environment.
•    Be patient and gentle with yourself, but be alert.
•    Do not bring anything you would want to lose: jewelry, money, cell phone, etc.
•    ALWAYS and in ALL situations follow your intuition and pay attention to your instincts: there is a difference between being uncomfortable and being unsafe.

While you are at your placement site:

•    Dress appropriately for your particular site. This means not to wear items like tube tops, tank tops, nothing too short (skirt or shorts), and no mid-drifts showing. More business casual dress may be required for schools. Wear appropriate footwear as per your site recommendations. In some sites, flip flops are not appropriate.
•    Know who your site supervisor is and where to contact them in case of emergency.
•    Know where your service partner is at all times.
•    Never give your phone number or email out to a client/student at your placement.
•    If people make assumptions about you, try to be compassionate. Asking the person why they made those assumptions or starting a conversation would be good responses and be a learning experience for all.
•    The CCE program prohibits students from giving out money to any clients. If you are asked, you should say this: "Our/my program supervisor does not allow us/me to give out money."
•    The CCE programs also prohibit students from forming romantic relationships or friendly relationships that extend outside of service time. If a person at your site suggests this, be clear in the message of boundaries and speak to your site supervisor and CCE staff about ways to address further interactions.
•    If you feel unsafe or threatened, tell your site supervisor or CCE staff. You will not be tattling. When in doubt, talk to someone!
Please also refer to the Campus Student Code: http://campuslife.wvu.edu/r/download/180235

Getting to and from your placement site:

•    Mountain Line bus service is free for WVU students.
•    If you drive to your site and you park, do not leave anything visible in your car. It is often a good idea to place items in your trunk before you leave campus.
•    Lock your trunk and doors.
•    If you get any type of ticket, you and your passengers are responsible for payment.
•    If you are traveling in your own car, the University does not cover any risks or incidents while traveling to your service site.

Encountering Diversity:

You will most likely be entering an environment different from that of WVU where you will encounter people of various socio-economic, cultural, and ethnic identities. Taking this into consideration, we suggest you:
•    Remain sensitive and open-minded in all dialogues: be cautious of your own assumptions and gentle with judgments the clients might have about you.
•    Take into account that it may take time and numerous visits to establish an understanding between yourself and the people at your sites.
•    Keep in mind, the people you will be interacting with may have different life experiences than you.
•    Remember, everyone is an expert at their own life experience.

General Information:

•    Never drive a client anywhere.
•    Never give out your personal information like your phone number, email, or address to a client.
•    Never engage in a relationship outside of your supervised service time with a client.
•    Never engage in a romantic relationship with anyone at your site.
•    Never give out money or personal belongings while at service.
•    Plan for possibilities: What if I can't find my service site? What if I am running late to service?

In Case of Emergency:

Contact the WVU Department of Public Safety at 304-293-COPS.